Cast iron panCayne’s Housewares112 Doncas­ter Ave., Thornhill, 905-764-1188
Home cooks not blessed with a lovingly seasoned, hand-me-down cast iron skillet should head to Thornhill kitchen mecca Cayne’s, where made-in-the-U.S.A. pans by Lodge invariably sell for much less than at any downtown shop. $30 for a 12-inch skillet.

Coffee siphonGreen Beanery565 Bloor St. W., 416-588-7700 ext. 249
French presses can be too sludgy and countertop espresso machines too expensive. The best compromise is a coffee siphon. The old-school glass devices, with their steam­punk chemistry set looks, brew incredibly rich, smooth coffee.

Global knifeTap Phong360 Spadina Ave., 416-977-6364
Anthony Bourdain gave Global knives a much-deserved shout-out in Kitchen Confidential. The Japanese steel blades are elegant and durable. Tap Phong, the Chinatown kitchen supply treasure trove, consistently has the best prices. $110 for an eight-inch chef’s knife, and one is all you’ll ever need.

Pepper millDegrees Kitchen Store2588 Yonge St., 416-484-8222
Those beautiful, wooden Peugeot pepper mills might be objects of home cook gadget lust, but the Unicorn Magnum, an unassuming black plastic number, is consistently rated higher by those in the know for its wide grind range and extraordinary pepper output.